Family Holiday on La Digue and Mahé

On La Digue, we stayed at the Le Repaire Boutique Hotel. We really liked this small hotel: our room was spacious, well equipped and tastefully furnished, while the hotel grounds, with their tropical garden and small pool, which our children in particular used a great deal, were beautifully laid out and well maintained. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, the service was excellent and the breakfast was good. The best thing, however, was the location directly on the beach, where sun loungers were also available. The water there is fairly shallow, but at high tide it is still perfectly possible to swim.

Beach at Hotel Le Repair Boutique The day after we arrived, we walked along the beach to the beautiful Anse Source d'Argent, a lovely hike of around an hour.

Anse Source D’Argent We returned later to go snorkelling, this time by bicycle. We cycled as far as the helipad, left our bicycles there and walked the final stretch along the beach. This meant we avoided the entrance fee for the L’Union Estate plantation. At the equivalent of €7 per person simply to use the road, we did not feel it was justified. Anse Source d’Argent is a good place for snorkelling, with various species of fish, some of which come quite close to snorkellers.

Batfish We also went on a bicycle tour up the west coast, around the northern tip of the island and along the east coast to the end of the road. We hired the bicycles, including a child seat, through the hotel. The route is very scenic, and we encountered several giant tortoises.

We also took the ferry to Praslin and visited the Vallée de Mai. Our hike through the palm forest was wonderful. There are plenty of information boards about the park’s plants and wildlife, making it easy to explore independently. The covered viewpoint offers a lovely view across the forest to the sea, and we were also able to spot some interesting birds there.

On Mahé, we had a very spacious apartment at Choice Villa, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge living room, a dining room and a fully equipped kitchen. We were also very pleased with this accommodation. Although the furnishings were a little dated, the apartment was well equipped, the staff were friendly, and the delicious breakfast was served directly on our terrace, which had a lovely view of Beau Vallon Beach.

The accommodation is not directly on the beach but is situated on a hillside, around a 10-minute walk from Beau Vallon Beach, which has a good range of tourist facilities. Only the final section, the driveway up to Choice Villa, is steep, so the return journey is still easily manageable on foot. Even closer is the next beach west of Beau Vallon Beach, the peaceful Anse Marie-Laure, which we sometimes had entirely to ourselves. This beach is ideal for anyone seeking peace and quiet and was our favourite of all the beaches we visited on Mahé, particularly as there is plenty of shade and the swimming is good.

Anse Marie Laure We hired a car for three days and explored the island: the capital, Victoria, the beautiful beaches on the east and west coasts, and the mountains and tropical forest along Chemin Sans Souci and Chemin la Misère. Our highlights were Mission Lodge and Sauzier Waterfall. Our guidebooks mention Mission Lodge only because of the spectacular view of Mahé’s west coast from the covered viewpoint, but the lovingly maintained, park-like grounds surrounding the ruins of an old mission school are well worth a visit in their own right. There are several information boards about the mission school’s history and historical background, as well as multilingual plaques identifying the various tree species and indicating whether they are indigenous or introduced. It was all very interesting.

View from Mission Lodge Sauzier Waterfall can be reached from Port Glaud by turning inland near the church. Unfortunately, it is not signposted, but the residents of Port Glaud are happy to point visitors in the right direction. Apparently, an admission fee was once charged to visit the waterfall, but this is no longer the case, and the associated infrastructure has been left to deteriorate. Below the waterfall is a natural pool where visitors can enjoy a refreshing dip. It is a wonderfully idyllic spot in the heart of the tropical forest!

Sauzier Waterfall Overall, we had a wonderful stay in the Seychelles, which are ideal for a family holiday: the seawater is warm and calm, the fine white sand is perfect for building sandcastles, the locals are very welcoming towards children, and the whole family enjoyed all our activities. La Digue was our favourite because it is so wonderfully peaceful and you can cycle everywhere.